10 Best Must Haves For Your Dog When You Go Camping

Don’t forget to bring the 10 best must haves for your dog when you go on a camping trip.

When we got our little rescue dog Apache, we didn’t even think that she could have issues riding in the car with us. Do you have a dog who doesn’t like to ride in the car?

She was maybe 3 months old when we took her out on her first car ride. Oh she hated it, she was so scared that I let her sit on my lap. Every time we took her with us in the car, I noticed she wasn’t comfortable at all.

It didn’t really get better and we decided not to take her with us in the car anymore. But that wasn’t the solution either, especially if you want to go on a vacation with your Camper.

I read a lot of articles what to do, but it didn’t work out for us.

Now I want to share with you what worked the best for us.

Maybe you want to try it out too?

What to do when your pet doesn’t like to drive in the car?

Our son wanted to bring her on vacation with us and we thought o.k. let’s just try it out how it goes. Didn’t go well. She sat on the floor mat of the car and didn’t move for hours. We made frequent stops to let her out, but she didn’t wanted to move. She was scared.

For the next trip we decided to make some changes so she would feel more comfortable:

We bought her a big enough crate and put her dog bed inside the crate for extra comfort. This made a huge difference because it was her bed she felt comfortable in.

We also gave her some relaxing hemp oil before the trip, which helped her so much to calm down.

This made all the difference:

That car crate and bed made a huge difference. She started feeling secure in her own surrounding and with a little help of some relaxing oil she started calming down.

When we go on trips now she is all excited to leave.

She jumps into the back of our car, into her crate and can’t wait for us to leave.

So if your dog has anxiety, maybe you want to try the relaxing oil and her dog bed/crate also.

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10 Best Must Haves For Your Dog When You Go Camping

What to bring for your dog when you go on a Camping Vacation

1. First Aid Kit

A first aid kit is always very helpful. You never know what is going to happen. Bring Benedryl in case of a bite, an allergic reaction or a bee stung.

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2. Vaccination Record

Bring your vaccination record, most of the campsites want to see it.

I always copy the last vet report, with all of her updated vaccinations and keep it in a special folder in the camper.

3. Toys

Bring your dogs favorite toys, balls or chewy bone to keep them occupied.

4. Pet Crate

A definite must have is a pet crate, so your dog travels safe and also comfortable. We bought this collapsible one, because it is rather big but easier to store when we don’t need it. The crate is available in different colors and sizes and really easy to set up.

5. A pet camera

If you like to go out without your pet once in a while, but you don’t feel good leaving him/her behind, maybe consider a camera to see what he/she is doing? I leave one light on for her so she doesn’t get scared in the camper. She goes to bed and waits for us to come home without any issues.

Maybe you still have a baby monitor at home. Perfect option to reuseit now for your pet.

10 Best Must Haves For Your Dog When You Go Camping

Here are the must-haves for outdoor activities:

6. A dog fence

If you want to relax during your camping vacation and don’t want to worry about him running off after other dogs, a fence is a great idea.

Dogs feel so much more safe if they are in their own territory they can protect and play in. You can open the camper door and just let the dog out without worrying.

This is a great option if you want something more sturdy.

This one has stalks and stays put where you want it to be. Depending on your dog you have to decide what is the best option for him.

7. A yoga mat or beach blanket

Does your dog love to swim or take baths but you don’t like him rolling in sand and dirt after the bath? Get a yoga mat and let her sit or lay on the mat. It is so much cleaner and my dog loves to roll on a cool mat.

Also don’t forget to bring towels and shampoo for your dog. Bad things can happen. For example your dog gets really dirty on a hike or swims in dirty water or rolls in even worse things. (Like Apache does constantly).

So pack a pet shampoo and some of your old towels and you are prepared for the worse.

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8. A leash with a light clip for nighttime visiblity

If you walk your dog at night it is good to have some extra light on you. This leash has an attached flash light. Whenever you go out at night you won’t forget a light because it is attached.

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10 Best Must Haves For Your Dog When You Go Camping – extras

9. Paw balm or protectant

If you decide to take your dog on vacation where it is either hot or very cold, bring some protectant for the paws. This paw balm is also good for healing in case the paws are very dry and cracked.

Socks or shoes for your puppies in case it gets really hot or cold.

If you want to protect your dogs paws when you go on hikes or to the beach, just bring baby socks and slip them over her paws. Protects the paws from heat and cold. You can buy them very cheap at the thrift store in dozens.

10. Extra leash and collar

Bring a spare leash and collar, you never know if one breaks or gets lost or whatever can happen.

I also like to bring a collapsible bowl on hikes, so she can drink comfortably out of her own bowl. I used to let her lick out of her plastic bottle, but that wasn’t very successful.

Download the Dog Packing List here:

Can you leave your dog alone in the Camper for a couple of hours?

Yes you can, but only if you do the following in case your dog is not used staying alone.

Definitely take your dog for a walk before you leave him/her.

• know that your pet is not a barker
• leave your pet alone for maximum 1 hour to see how she/he is doing before you extend the time
• check with the pet monitor to know what she is doing while you are gone
• leave enough water in the bowl
• depending on your pet, leave him/her in the crate
• leave the AC on or set at a comfortable temperature for your pet
• leave the radio/tv on
• close the blinds
• leave a light on
• put a sticker on your front door saying ‘In Emergencies Pets inside‘.

Summary of the 10 Best Must Haves For Your Dog When You Go Camping

Download the Checklist or add to your Packing List whatever you feel is necessary for your puppy. You won’t forget anything important when you go on your trip.

I normally keep all the things I want to bring for Apache in a separate box. Then I don’t need to collect all these items again for our next trip and I won’t forget anything.

But believe it or not it happened to me that I packed everything for her but forgot her food. And that was a small disaster because Apache loves to eat….

See you on the road friend,

Conny xoxo

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